


Epilogue

by CreativeC



Series: Epilogue Series [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Also have made it during a time when Roark and Volkner are in their mid 20s, Best Friends, But He's Learning, But just enough that it's oh so cute, Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, Eventual Romance, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hop is a Dork, Hop is jealous, Implied Sexual Content, Jealousy, Leon is a cheeky meddler, Leon is a good bro, Leon is made to be 5 years older than Hop, Not too much that it takes foreverrrrr, OH and a pokemon battle, Post-Canon, b/c I have no clue how old he actually is, but gets the job done, much fluff, ok that's enough tags haha, slight slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:34:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21604603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreativeC/pseuds/CreativeC
Summary: Leon, as the dedicated brother he is, decides to help his younger bro, Hop, realize his feelings for current Champion Gloria after many years. What ensues is a hopeless (and jealous) Hop being smacked in the face with emotions and maybe, if he gets a clue enough to confess, a girlfriend who may or may not be feeling the same way. This is a slight slow burn of pure fluffy mess - and one very enlightening Pokemon Battle.
Relationships: Denzi | Volkner/Ouba | Flint, Hop (Pokemon)/Original Character(s), Hop/Yuuri | Gloria
Series: Epilogue Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593031
Comments: 40
Kudos: 482





	1. Only a friend, eh?

The bleats of Wooloo flocks filled the warm summer air as Hop and Leon walked down Route 1 to Wedgehurst. They were on their way to meet their reigning Champion and closest friend, Gloria, from the station and bring her to family dinner. It’s been many years since the return of the Darkest Day, and life had been treating them well. Hop, since losing to Gloria, has worked with Sonia to become a Pokemon professor. Now 24 years old, he has a better understanding of Pokemon and has grown more responsible and mature... to some extent. Hop never lost his passion for success, yet he was still yet to grow out of his brashness and boldness. He was content with where he was, happy to spend his time mostly working towards his professorship and spending time with his family. However, over the years he had been yearning for something else. He had been scouring for a special someone far and wide, going on many dates with many different people, almost making it work with one in particular, but it never seemed to work out. His brother, Leon, would often scoff at Hop scrolling through whatever dating app was the next big thing, and repeat constantly that he should try doing things the old fashioned way.  
  
Speaking of, Leon hadn't changed much. Since being dethroned as Champion, he hadn't stopped travelling around helping people, but since that's more of the reigning Champion's job, he has been able to spend more time at home and work on his techniques along with Hop. All in all, they had grown a lot closer and talk about everything. Lately, it seemed that Leon had taken it upon himself to play cupid in Hop’s love life, ever since his last relationship went by the wayside. In fact, never a moment went by that Leon didn’t bring up a certain girl they both knew in their conversations. Much to the obliviousness of his little brother, he sensed that there may be more than meets the friendly eye with the two of them, and hoped that someday soon he would be able to ascertain the truth of how they felt about each other.  
  
"So it's been a while since you've seen Gloria, huh?" Leon smiled, stealing a glance from his little brother. Although five years separate them, since Hop had entered adulthood, the gap felt non-existent.   
  
"Yeah, it has! I can't wait to challenge her to a battle!" Hop said enthusiastically, his hands behind his head. Leon smirked slightly before turning his head towards him.  
  
"Only battle?"  
  
Hop turned towards his brother, brow furrowed in confusion.  
  
"What are you talking about, Lee?"  
  
Leon chuckled and shook his head. His brother was more mature and confident sure, but he was still a little clueless with certain things.  
  
"Look, little bro, all I'm saying is that Gloria is a catch! I'm a little surprised that you haven't made a move yet,"  
  
Hop stopped dead in his tracks, jaw dropped to the floor. He had no idea where Lee had picked up on any of this nonsense.  
  
"Lee, that's crazy! Gloria is one of my best friends - FRIEND! I don't have any feelings for her like that, at least not-"  
  
"Anymore?" Lee finished, beginning to walk backwards and smiling knowingly.  
  
"I was gonna say at least not for a long time. Sure when we were younger and had the same goals, but now who knows what our chemistry would be like. Besides, she has been seeing plenty of other guys since those days..." he mumbled, continuing past his, at the moment, annoying, brother.  
  
"Ah, been keeping up with the tabloids have we?" Leon quirked an amused eyebrow. Hop flushed slightly, frowning and unwilling to give in to his brother's taunt. "You know Hop, you're one to talk. It's not like your love life has been stagnant - in fact, her list is just as, shall we say, extensive as your own,"  
  
"Hey, it's not my fault that those didn't pan out. You know me, I run headfirst into those with 150% effort to make it work. They just didn't fit right, there was always - "  
  
" - something missing?" Leon finished in a sing-song voice.  
  
"Smart-ass," Hop hissed as Leon chuckled good-naturedly, slapping his brother on the back.  
  
They continued on their way until they reached Wedgehurst Station. A loud crowd surrounding the entrance was bustling. As they approached, Hop strained to see what was going on, but once Leon saw, he shook his head smiling.  
  
"The good old days. Seems like nothing changes,"  
  
Right in the middle of the crowd was Gloria and her Cinderace, smiling broadly and posing for a few photos with her fans. As soon as Hop met her eyes, surprisingly he felt Butterfree in his stomach. She had changed in the years they had been apart: her hair was a little longer than it had been the last time he saw her, with a side fringe that framed her face beautifully. Her eyes, wide and deep blue, sparkled with fire much like they did whenever they battled.   
  
It was something, although he never assessed it as much when he was younger, being so focused on the Champion's Cup , that stirred up the same feeling then as it did now: a warmth in his chest and tingles in his fingertips. What he thought was simply admiration for his rival, now seemed to weigh a little more heavily, and curiously so.  
  
When Gloria smiled in recognition and bound forward towards him, Hop couldn't help but smile brightly, wrapping her up in a spinning hug. She laughed lightly at his antics before playfully smacking his arm.  
  
"Hop, I'm so glad to see you! It's been an age, I've missed you!"  
  
"I missed you too," he replied, a little more breathlessly than he had meant. It was then that Leon coughed to remind his brother and Gloria of his presence.  
  
"Leon! How's my favourite ex-champ doing?" Gloria said cheekily, holding her fist out in greeting. Leon laughed before meeting hers in a bump.  
  
"Oh you know, the usual. Always waiting for a chance to take back that title," He winked at her. "Although I'm not sure I want it back, you're looking amazing! Champion title suits you,"  
  
"Why, thanks Lee," Gloria smiled back, "Either way, I'd have to decline because my first battle back home belongs to Hop and only Hop."  
  
Hop raised his eyebrows at her challenge, smirking at his former rival. She reflected it right back before wrinkling her nose at him teasingly.  
  
"What do you think, Professor, you still got what it takes?"  
  
Leon laughed, meanwhile Hop flushed slightly before countering with a twinkle in his eye,  
  
"Hmmm, I think I could find time for a win - you better watch out, Champ, this Professor's got some new moves,"  
  
Gloria patted his cheek before leaning in to whisper,  
  
"We'll see about that,"  
  
Hop could feel the temperature within his body rise as he felt her breath on his ear, and her touch alone brought that temperature to the surface, his face bright red. Leon, noticing this snickered at his hopeless, younger brother. Gloria, seemingly oblivious to Hop's reaction, turned and gave a final wave to the group of fans before walking past Hop towards Postwick. Leon nudging his brother out of his sudden haze and pushed him towards home, following the chattering of Gloria, who was exclaiming just how great it felt to be back home.   
  
"I tell you, I love travelling but boy do all of those interviews and conferences get tiring!" she sighed, stretching her arms out and breathing in deep. "Honestly Lee, I now see why you were never in one place for too long,"  
  
"Yeah well, I have to say that's one of the perks of not being a Champ anymore. I've been able to spend much more time with family!" Leon said contentedly, ruffling Hop's hair. Pulling away laughing, Hop moved to smooth out his hair before asking Gloria,  
  
"So where was it that you were last? Was it Hoenn or Sinnoh?"  
  
"I was in Sinnoh for a meeting regarding the changes made in their League battles - it seems they want to take a leaf out of our books to make them a little bit more exciting for the spectators. Which was great, but it sure meant I had to talk a lot," Gloria said with a nervous chuckle. Hop smiled knowingly, having seen firsthand her stage fright at talking in front of a large group of people. "Thank goodness I was able to find solace in some of the Sinnoh gym leaders,"  
  
"I'm sure you did an amazing job," Hop said warmly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him gratefully, placing a hand over his in a gesture of thanks. Leon looked at his brother's expression and studied his demeanour as they walked. It was clear that his words to his younger brother regarding Gloria that morning had woken him up to certain feelings that had been tucked away and ignored.   
  
Maybe it's time I kick things up a gear , Leon thought mischievously.  
  
"I saw some of the coverage of those conferences - it sure seemed like you were a favourite, particularly amongst the guys," Leon teased as Gloria blushed slightly. This comment caused Hop to whip his head around so hard that he flinched in the process. Leon simply eyed his brother and smirked as he continued to execute his plan.  
  
"Well, I mean, I'm pretty sure that Cynthia would be their favourite, given that she is the champion of the Sinnoh region... everyone was very nice to me," Gloria said hurriedly, waving her hand dismissively.  
  
"Besides, surely that wasn't the focus Lee - that was an important meeting, I'm sure that they were too busy with the betterment of League competitions," Hop said, narrowing his eyes at his brother, while internally hoping that his words were false. This was hard when he considered how pretty, no - stunning Gloria was. There was no denying that the thoughts of people like Roark or Volkner eying her up seedily made his stomach turn. She was not just some eye candy to be consumed and deserved to be respected for her passion for helping people and kindness towards Pokemon and humans alike.   
  
People like them couldn't understand that , he thought bitingly, only he could, someone who saw her rise to the top with a strength of character unparalleled .   
  
His eyes widened slightly as he thought this, growing increasingly warm at these unearthed feelings. Leon, sensing this slow realisation, continued,  
  
"Oh I remember what those conferences are like vividly - networking, my dear brother, and for a young man being in the presence of such a beautiful, young woman like Gloria here," He smiled charmingly at her, making her face grow even redder, "I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few guys who had a little more on their minds than whether to include Gigamaxing at their arenas,"  
  
"Lee!" Gloria and Hop said in unison, the former staring at her friend with a surprised blush while the latter's flushed face gave hints of green jealousy. Leon laughed cheekily before signalling the two into their family's garden. As Gloria entered, he bowed as if to a Queen, stirring a giggle from her as she walked through attempting a royal wave. As Hop entered, a scowl present on his face, his older brother simply winked before whispering surreptitiously,  
  
"Only a friend, eh?”


	2. That was nice of him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter - Are you ready for a battle? And I'm not only talking about the emotional one raging inside of Hop! I hope you enjoy this one as much as the last one - I'm so grateful for you all reading them!

As they walked into the garden of Leon and Hop's family home, their senses were overwhelmed by the delicious scent of home cooking. Rushing to the kitchen window, they all peered in to see not only Leon and Hop's mum, but Gloria's mum as well, bustling about preparing what looked like a feast of epic proportions. Leon and Hop's faces were comically pressed against the window, eyes ablaze with desire for food while drool gathered in the corners of their mouths. At this, Gloria burst into a fit of giggles, causing the parents to be alerted to their children's presence. The boys' mum laughed, while Gloria's mum squealed in delight, rushing out of the room to burst out the front door and wrap her daughter in her arms. Happy tears forming in her eyes, she said,

"Oh my darling girl, I've missed you so much,"

Gloria gave her mum a watery smile as she broke away. The windows to the kitchen opened for Leon and Hop to greet their mum before looking at the reunion fondly.

"I'm sorry I was away for so long this time around. I know I promised I would be back a few weeks ago," Gloria said, a small frown on her face.

"I guess that's what happens when your daughter is the Galar Champion - isn't that right, Lottie?"

Lottie nodded knowingly, reaching to pinch Leon's cheek lightly, feigned annoyance gracing her features.

"Right you are Poppy, but at least your daughter took time to keep you posted on her whereabouts unlike the last one,"  
Hop and Gloria laughed as Leon, flustered, flailed under his mother's grasp.

"It was never through a lack of wanting to, I just always forgot - Mum, lemme go, I've already apologised," he wined childishly. Hop, ever the good brother, jumped up to defend him.

"Guys, it's not his fault that everyone wanted his help, he was the best Champion ever after all,"

At this Gloria threw him a pointed glare, arms moving to cross. After a beat Hop noticed and slightly cowered under it. Her glare broke and was replaced by fondness, well aware of how much he looked up to his older brother. 

"Aww, don't worry about it Hop - I guess I just need to remind you who the best is around here," she said sighing with a resigned smile. Hop could tell behind the smile, she was already calculating the moves inside her head. It brought him right back to all the battles they had at the beginning of their journey, so much so that it sent excited tingles up his spine. He was itching to battle.

"What do you think Mum? Do we have time for a quick battle?"

Their mothers exchanged shrugs before smiling at them.

"I don't see why not, the pasta dish isn't finished yet and the roast has another, how long would you say, Poppy?" Lottie said, disappearing behind a cookbook, flipping through the pages.

"I'd say about forty minutes, so go for it kids," 

Hop pounded the air in excitement before leaning forward to grab Gloria's hand and rush off to the outdoor battle platform in front of their garage. He called back to Leon to oversee the match and act as referee. Leon raised his eyebrows amusedly. It had been a long time since he saw his little brother not only this pumped for a battle but rushing around. It was very characteristic of their younger selves. He shook his head, smiling reminiscently, and followed them to the battlefield. 

Hop was beside himself with excitement, enough that he didn't realise that he had been holding Gloria's hand. When he did, it seemed that Gloria had the same realisation at the same time, since they retracted their hands simultaneously, twin blushes on their faces. Hop took a moment to compose himself before smacking his cheeks and meeting Gloria's eyes in challenge. Seeing his change in demeanour, Gloria grinned and took out three Pokeballs.

"How about a three on three battle?" she asked as Leon arrived on the scene.

"Yes, that sounds like just enough time for me to show the Champion of Galar who the Champion of all time is!" Hop said oozing confidence. Gloria giggled before winking at him. Unfortunately for him, this caused his heart to lurch and falter his expression.

"As amazing a trainer as you are, dearest Hop, I won't need 15 minutes to win," she countered smugly. They turned to opposite sides of the field, Hop drawing his first Pokeball. He had some ideas on tactics, having seen some of her more recent battles on television, however, now that he thought about it, it was difficult to recall anything but the way her cheeks were always dusted with pink and her eyes sparkled when she took down a particularly tough opponent. It was surprising to him - so much so in fact that he didn't realise the battle beginning with Gloria calling out her Roserade. Hop shook his head and checked himself, Leon looking on with a smirk. They made eye contact, Leon snickering while Hop simply tuck out his tongue and called out fiercely,

"Go Dubwool! Let's make this short and sweet - kind of like you Champ," he said, grinning at his opponent who, he was happy to see, blushed slightly at his comment.

"I may be short and sweet on most occasions, but I battle fierce as you may well remember - Roserade, use Magical Leaf!" 

Magical colours gathered around Roserade's cannon-like hands before expelling glowing leaves from them, all hurtling towards Dubwool. However, when they got close, at Hop's command, Dubwool avoided the attack by rolling to the side.

"You're gonna have to try better than that if you want to beat me - we're a lot quicker than last time. Dubwool use Roll Out!"

During the same evasiveness manoeuvre, Dubwool rolled powerfully towards Roserade, catching him in his side. Roserade exclaimed painfully, the impact pushing him down. Gloria clenched her fists, watching Dubwool as he rolled back in front of Hop to continue the battle. Hop watched her closely and could see the cogs in her brain working a plan of attack. It was in these moments he got to see her in her element. At the beginning of their Pokemon journeys, she was a bit of a dark horse. She had that certain spark, the ability to connect with her Pokemon on an intrinsic level which made her battling style succinct and seamless. It was something that Hop often marvelled at, and seeing her in action like this after so many years was making him feel affectionately nostalgic. He studied her eyes, knowing that at some point soon he would see a sparkle that would signal she had come up with a plan. Soon after, it appeared, a smile gracing her features as she yelled,

"Roserade, use Stun Spore!"

In a flash and without her even finishing her sentence, Roserade unleashed a sprinkling of yellow dust which covered the field, clinging to Dubwool's fur and releasing a static shock. Hop gritted his teeth in frustration, cursing her plan. As much as he admired his friend's smarts, they were getting in the way of his.

"Seems you're in a tough spot there Hop - are you sure you don't want to stop here, forfeit all bragging rights to sweet, little me?"

Hop chuckled, assessing his options before retorting quickly, and without filtering,

"Leon was right, the Champion title does suit you - and I do so love to see you win but not today dearest Champion. This Professor wants to show you what he’s learnt,”

Gloria's eyes widened at this, her mouth closing in slight shock. Although there was still ambiguity to his statement, it was still the most forward that Hop had been towards her. Even Leon, who stood on the sidelines, eyed his brother with a slight smile. 

Trust him to get real in the heat of a battle, he thought before looking at Gloria. He noticed that she looked quite flustered. Even though she placed her hand in front of her face, feigning an intense focus, he could detect a flattered smile behind it. Interesting...

"Dubwool, use Roll Out!"

Gloria giggled before calling out, "And here I thought I'd be seeing some new moves, Professor!"

Hop merely smirked, placing his hands in his pockets smugly.

"Well, Miss Champion, maybe if you kept your eyes on the battle instead of at me, you'd notice these new moves,"  
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, a light pink tint appearing across her cheeks. She looked at Dubwool and was surprised to see that in Dubwool's Roll Out that Roserade's spores were shaken off and he was no longer paralysed. It brought a proud smile to her face, which she directed towards her opponent. His smirk faltered slightly at this but he kept up his posture. 

"How can I look at anything else when confidence looks so good on you," she beamed with an affection that Hop hadn't noticed before. 

Which was strange, because her words weren't foreign. It was common knowledge amongst their families that confidence was something that Hop had to work hard on, and it only really came to fruition when he began following his own path towards a professorship. Even at the beginning, Hop would have long conversations with Gloria about his doubts, of which she would always be able quell. She was his biggest supporter, aside from Leon of course, and always seemed to make time for him. Thinking about it brought that warmth back to his chest and, at her comment paired with the look she gave him, a flush to his face. 

"Well, I would have you to thank for that,” he said fondly, his features softening as he spoke.

She smiled knowingly and tilted her head to one side, hands behind her back.

Cute, he thought involuntarily, or... maybe not so involuntarily. He realised now that he always thought she was: whenever she caught a new Pokemon, whenever she reminisced on their childhood memories, whenever she fell asleep watching Leon battle for the fiftieth time just because Hop asked her to, whenever she won a battle. When they fought for a place in the finals of the Champion Cup, she was the only one he felt he could lose to and not be devastated. Seeing her face when she won, bright and filled with glee was victory enough for him. Not only that, but to have someone there who understood what his loss meant to him, and had the empathy to treat him as an equal regardless of what had occurred. 

"Roserade, use Giga Drain!"

Hop was brought back to reality at her shout, seeing her Roserade land her mark and defeat Dubwool. He recalled his Pokemon with words of gratitude and encouragement. Looking up to see her smirking, he chuckled before grinning back.

"Well, that's one down - How're we looking for time?" He called out to Leon, who looked at his watch and throwing a thumbs up.

"Looks like we're good," Hop said, pulling out his second Pokeball, throwing it in the air a few times tauntingly. Gloria called back Roserade, before smugly pulling out another.

"Well, before I bring out Cinderace and, you know, remind you why I'm the Champion, I thought I might show you the latest addition to my team! You keen?" She said excitedly, "I haven't even used her in battle yet, saved her debut specially for you,"

"Far be it from me to decline seeing a new Pokemon! I can't wait, call her out!"

Gloria smiled brightly before releasing the Pokeball and out from it a Luxray burst onto the field. She roared out and expelled some static from her fur, pawing at the ground as if to pounce. Hop had never battled one before, it not being native to Galar, so his first response was pure drive. He knew that he would call out his Grillaboom, jumping slightly from foot to foot, his body suddenly pumping with pure adrenaline. For a moment, he looked exactly as he did when he was younger. 

"Whoa a Luxray! That's a pretty incredible Pokemon you got there Gloria, where did you get her?" Leon called out, wide eyed with wonder. 

"When I was in Sinnoh I battled with Volkner quite a bit, and as a reward he gave me a Pokemon Egg," She said fondly, clapping her hands together as she looked upon her Pokemon. As if a pin poked into the balloon that was Hop's confidence, this Luxray and its implications deflated his stature significantly. It made his view of this new, wonderful Pokemon turn resentful through his green coloured glasses. As if his belated slow realisation wasn't enough, it seemed like everyone else's quick work on trying to win Gloria's favour left him in the dust.

"Volkner, huh? That was nice of him," Hop said flatly. Gloria nodded happily, oblivious to his tone but still engage in the heat of battle.

"C'mon Hop, I've been raring to battle her with you, call out your Pokemon!"

Without his usual gusto, which didn't go unnoticed by Leon, he called out his Rillaboom. The Pokemon slammed his powerful fists onto his drum intimidatingly, glaring at Luxury in challenge. Luxray simply stood there stoically, her eyes narrowing slightly, focused. Leon grinned at the spectacle of his two young rivals, reminiscing on the beginning of their journeys. He always knew that they were destined to do great things, and here they were, heroes of the nation, achieving their dreams and growing into amazing people. Gloria was always very quiet during her battles beforehand, so it was refreshing to see her more open and engaging with her opponents. Not only that, but she seemed to have perfected her raw talent with raising Pokemon. Leon had to admit, not only had Gloria trained her Luxury well, but they looked like quite an intimidating pair. It really seemed like this whole Champion gig fit her to a tee, and she was certainly blossoming into a such a strong trainer. He felt strangely proud of her, even though she was still his rival to this day having battled many times since then. 

Yet he couldn't help but feel for poor Hop. His confidence was always something of a problem, and he could see that the mere thought of Gloria and Volkner being closer than that of friends made him uncertain. Gloria was always a sure bet with Hop - she made it clear that she would always be there for him, and he couldn't have been happier for his brother to have such a strong and kind person in his corner supporting him. Now that Hop was beginning to realise his feelings, and at the same time understand that Gloria was not only a fantastic trainer and friend, but like all the other guys in her life, that she was a beautiful young woman who would make an amazing partner. Thankfully it seemed she was picky, but her fondness towards the Sinnoh gym leader was noticeable. Sure it was all fine when it was just teasing, but if there was any truth to it, it would crush Hop.

I may need to pull in the reigns a bit, he thought hesitantly. At least until I have more information...

"Go Rillaboom, use Drum Beating,"

"Luxray, use Thunder!"

Hop and Gloria yelled simultaneously and, at the same time, Luxray roaring to the heavens and unleashing an electrifying thunderbolt from the sky, while Rillaboom smacked onto his drum with such intensity that a shock wave burst forth. Their moves hit with a tremendous BOOM! It reverberated around the entire area, causing a few passersby to shriek in surprise. One old man in particular brandished his cane aggressively towards Hop and Gloria, yelling out his protests at their noise. The three young trainers flinched slightly, before Hop's mum rushing out from the house.

"Trust you two to get out of hand," she said tutting amusedly, before walking over to the disgruntled old man to calm him down. Leon took this as a cue to pause the battle, walking onto the field between the two Pokemon.

"Alright guys, I think we should call it here. It is late and we don't want to be disrespectful to the neighbourhood,"

Gloria nodded in understanding, a slight blush appearing in embarrassment at her eagerness. Hop however simply stared at Luxray before nodding his head in ascent and withdrawing his Pokemon. Noticing his change in demeanour, Gloria did the same and walked up to him.

"Hop, are you alright?"

He smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. He avoided looking at her directly in the eyes, which she took note of. It was confusing to see Hop's attitude so altered in such a small time frame. Her eyebrows furrowed, but let it go all the same, of which he was grateful. He realised, in that moment, that he would never be able to go back to how it was before. He was too selfish, he wanted her and only her, internally chastising himself for realising it too late. They way that her eyes lit up with glee at the mention of Volkner seemed to prove it to him that she had feelings for him. Hop couldn't stand it, and it was making him feel sick with envy and frustration.

Once Lottie had succeeded in subduing their old neighbour, she turned around brightly and invited them to go inside.

"Dinner is ready! I hope you worked up quite an appetite because we have made enough for a small army," she laughed heartily.

"I'm starved! Just watching that battle was enough to make me absolutely ravenous!" Leon said, barking out a laugh and heading inside. Gloria cast a concerned look at Hop, who merely shrugged, before following Leon into the house for dinner, forcing a smile back onto her face to join in on the merriment.

Hop hesitated for a moment, pausing before the door to let his mum in first. He knew he was being stubborn and a downer at this point, and that he needed to buck up and support his friends and family in celebration of Gloria's return. It was unfair of him to put all this tension out right now before he had a chance to properly unpack it. He slapped his cheeks before finding a smile, and entering into the warm confides of his house.


	3. I can't take it anymore.

Unfortunately for Hop, he wasn't able to keep his distance from Gloria's love life as it was an avid topic at the dinner table, much to the dismay of the Galar Champion. She was a flustered mess throughout the meal, their mothers attempting to get the latest gossip out of the young woman.

"Oh honey, come on! Even you can't deny that Volkner is handsome, and he seemed quite taken with you!"

I mean, who wouldn't, Hop thought grumpily, stabbing his fork at a potato a bit too aggressively and plopping it in his mouth with a murderous chew. She's literally perfect, and here she was on a silver platter and what did you do? Nothing. And now Mr. Electrifying Personality has his eyes on her, you big idiot.

Leon stared at his brother with a smile, relishing in his newfound knowledge about Gloria. As they were setting the table and placing platters of delicious food decoratively on the table, Leon was able to uncover some semblance of an idea that Gloria did in fact not have any fancy towards Volkner. 

"So Gloria," he said in an undertone, the both of them in the kitchen organising plates of food while the others scurried around, Hop being dragged around by his mother to be demonstrated the proper way to make a Yorkshire pudding. "All this talk about Volkner seemed to have gotten you pretty flustered. I'm curious to hear more about what he's like out of the gym - they say he's pretty closed off so I'm slightly surprised that you managed to nab him,"

Gloria looked up at Leon, bright red and stuttered slightly when she said,

"Leon, oh gosh no, I promise it's not like that. He's not really... my type anyway. You know me, I always preferred guys who are a bit more open with their feelings. Volkner is a great friend," she said kindly, turning to the kitchen island to separate the vegetables onto different plates, "but there's just something that isn't there that I need in a partner,"

To his glee, he noticed her glance quickly at Hop and blushing slightly, so quick in fact that he almost missed it. Thank goodness he didn't, for he was suddenly filled with renewed determination to get these kids together. He watched the two of them for a moment, and almost burst out loud at their antics. Bless their hearts, they kept looking at each other when the other looked away, Hop with eyes filled with longing and Gloria with curious intrigue. 

Back to plan A, Leon thought deviously. 

"Mum, this is embarrassing! He is my friend and that's it, don't ask me if I think he's handsome," Gloria mumbled, moving some of her peas to take a dip in a pool of gravy.

"Yeah, I don't know why LEON keeps bringing him up," said Hop pointedly, ripping a Yorkshire pudding and shoving it into his mouth, eyes glaring at his brother. Leon smirked and took a drink of his wine. 

"Well, I just think that we are Gloria's closest friends and we have a right to know that he is treating her well," Leon said, feigning innocence. "Besides, I've heard many a story about Volkner along the grapevine."

"Oh trust you Leon to know the best gossip, now spill!" Leon's mother said, cheekily looking at Gloria who simply groaned.

"Well, I hear that the reason why he is so closed off is because he is a wild Arcanine in the sheets, and that's why all the girls across Sinnoh and beyond are head over heels for him,"

The two mothers giggled hysterically at this, while Hop and Gloria sat watching the spectacle in front of them, meeting each other's eyes in solidarity amongst this strange turn of events. Hop was beginning to get super frustrated, not only at hearing about stupid Volkner endlessly, but also it was clearly making Gloria uncomfortable. As to why that may be, Hop didn't want to think too hard about. The thought alone of Gloria being one of Volkner's conquests in his sheets brought something ugly and molten in the pit of his stomach.

"Well, it seems that maybe Volkner might not be Gloria's cup of tea... how about Roark? I've heard he's also one of the top contenders for young women's hearts everywhere," Lottie said teasingly, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Hop groaned, picking up his plate and leaving the table to put it in the kitchen sink.

"Well Lott, I think that Gloria's tastes lend themselves a little closer to ho-"

"Mum don't even finish that sentence!" Gloria interrupted loudly, looking wildly at her mother. 

"What's this? You're holding out on us Champ, who's caught your eye?"

Everyone's eyes went to Gloria, Hop half turning his head from the kitchen sink. Her face went bright red, frowning before getting up, much to the table's protests.

"I know one thing that has caught my eye and that is this dessert right here," she said haughtily grabbing a knife and cutting herself a slice of red velvet cake. After a few whines of 'you're no fun' and 'c'mon tell us more', she glared at the table and continued, "My love life is none of your business, especially when there is nothing to tell, at least not to you busybodies,"

"I just want to know if there's anyone special in your life, that's all sweetheart," Poppy said gently, "We were just teasing you and having a bit of fun. Now let's move on,"

"Ok, fair enough," said Leon as Hop, sensing it was safe to return to the table, sat back down next to Gloria, throwing her a comfort smile which she returned with a roll of her eyes.

"What about honey, are you seeing anyone at the moment?" Poppy asked Hop, who slightly stiffened in his chair.

"Yes, what happened to that Emily girl?" Lottie quirked an eyebrow towards her youngest.

Remembering the horrible break up that was with Emily, Hop frowned and mumbled something along the lines of 'it didn't work out'. Lottie looked at her son with sympathy, exchanging a look with Poppy before sensing that their playful shenanigans needed to stop and changed the subject to cleaning out their garage. Hop looked down at the table, Emily's final words ringing in his ears and that final night, until he was stirred out of his reverie by a warm and gentle hand atop his own under the table. Looking to its owner, she smiled with sad understanding, being the one he called afterwards. What Gloria didn't know was that she was the subject of those last words.

It's either Gloria or me - who is it gonna be?

When they had finished dinner, they gathered in the living room and chose to watch some old videos: baby videos of Hop and Gloria playing in a kiddie pool, Leon's first Pokemon battle, Hop and Gloria doing Leon's pose, them with their first Pokemon, and so on. It was something the two families did every now and then when they got together. Leon and the mothers all sat on the couches while Hop and Gloria sat next to each other on the floor. With the fireplace ablaze, and the lamps emanating warm light, everything was very cozy. 

Hop had begun to feel less frustrated and flustered with the topic of love lives being dropped. He was content and happy to reminisce with Gloria and the others, a warm flickering in his chest at moments like these. Watching videos of his childhood brought back so many memories, and being able to share them with Gloria, since more often than not she had been a part of them, filled him with a real sense of homeliness. As they all talked animatedly, Hop was able to take a moment to admire his friend.

He wondered if he should really call her that anymore. Even though it was more true than it was even yesterday, he felt like he just couldn't ignore the way his heart leapt whenever she laughed, or how his chest tightened whenever she touched him, or his breath hitched whenever she looked at him with her deep azure eyes, sparkles dancing within them, enchanting him to delve even more in love with her than he already was.

Wait.

There it was. He loved her. Of course he did, he thought, as he shook his head slightly, a warm chuckle erupting from his being. The truth was he had loved her for a very long time, and that was the true reason why none of his other relationships lasted. All the women he dated could never live up to the place Gloria had in his heart, so much so that they, and fairly so, ended up dumping him. Emily was the one girl who seemed to be strong willed enough to call him out on his cluelessness, voicing the way he put Gloria before anyone else: cancelling dates whenever she was feeling homesick just to call her, leaving anywhere and anything to quell Gloria's own self-doubt and remind her how important she was to not only the Galar region but the rest of the globe as a Champion. He had slowly realised that he hadn't treated those young women the way they deserved, and that was because his heart, the one that he had complained desperately no one wanted, belonged to the one he often complained to. 

I hope that they can forgive me someday, he thought sadly. I'll just have to make it up for it by not screwing this up with Gloria.

It was at this point that the screen changed over from the home movies to the news, where there was coverage of Gloria's last day in Sinnoh. And there, on the television screen in his own home, was Volkner being interviewed with Gloria. Hop whipped his head around to see who interrupted his monologue, only to see his brother holding the remote and staring back at him smugly. Turning back around to glue his eyes to the television, Hop studied their interactions.

Volkner was certainly being very polite (Too polite, Hop thought, his eyes narrowing) towards Gloria. They were talking earnestly to the interviewer as well as to each other, laughing at some inside jokes here and there. At one point, which caused Hop to go red with irritation, Volkner placed his hand on Gloria's shoulder, pulling her into a friendly (Tsk like that could be considered friendly, he's practically mauling her, Hop thought viciously) side-hug. The background noise faded in the background, Hop's fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to calm himself down. However, it was when Volkner, in their departure from the interview, blew Gloria a kiss, that he exploded.

"Argghhh I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE,"

Silence. A beat, and then,

"What can't you take anymore Hop?"

He turned his head around to see that the silence before was not him tuning out the others, but was actually just the others having left him and Gloria alone to sit in the kitchen and leave them to finish watching the interview. Gloria, her eyes concerned, turned her body to face him straight on which meant she means business. Hop sighed resignedly, turning his head towards his hands now fidgeting atop his bent knees. Gloria, in typical Gloria fashion, simply waited patiently for him to speak, eyes moving to try and meet his. He didn't, but he did speak.

"I can't take this anymore,"

Gloria looked at him sadly, slight confusion within her eyes. Yet she waited for him to continue, knowing that he would get there eventually. He swallowed thickly, before his voice, slightly heavy with emotion, said what had been plaguing him since she returned.

"I love you Gloria."

Her eyes widened in shock when he looked at her after his confession. Hop couldn't figure what she was thinking, but she hadn't stopped him nor laughed at him. So he continued.

"Since you came back, I was flooded with all these feelings that I never looked at. I think it was, at first, because I was so focused on my goals, but then it was something like denial... I'm not really sure why, but others certainly noticed my feelings towards you well before I did. In all of this, hearing about you and Volkner, I couldn't take it," he shook his head, defeated. "I'm so sorry that I got so jealous that I couldn't even pretend to be happy for you that it was a possibility. I never thought I could be enough for you, since I always knew you deserved to be given the world. Please know that I just want you to be happy. You are the most dear person in my life and I couldn't bear to be the one to hold you back, or even worse, make you feel obliged to do anything,"

He paused his ramble to take a breath. Gloria's eyes began to mist up slightly, her mouth now closed and a small smile gracing her features. Hop cleared his throat, once again looking at his hands in an effort to distract himself since her stare was beginning to be too intense for him to look at. He sincerely hoped and prayed that she would not end their friendship. Instead, when she finally spoke, his heart stopped.

"It took you long enough,"

Hop looked at his childhood friend to see she had a couple tears in her eyes, but she was smiling brightly. Not moving from his position, but maintaining eye contact, he took his turn to let her continue, for once in his life understanding the importance of being patient in this instance.

"Hop, I have loved you my whole life."

Again, he stayed silent, scared that should he say something he would ruin this moment. Gloria chuckled at his actions, leaning against the side of his knees and resting her head affectionately on his folded hands.

"I have been waiting for so long for you to realise - you really can be so shortsighted sometimes, running around everywhere. It felt for so long that you just kept passing me, to the point where I thought it would never happen. I did date some guys, but I couldn't knowingly keep that up when I wasn't able to get over you. I wanted to be the one to support you, even when you would talk about all those silly girls you'd go out with," she said teasingly, intertwining her fingers in his limp ones, grounding him so much so that he was able to squeeze her hand to continue. She chuckled and squeezed back.

"You have grown into such an irresistible guy so it's your fault, I stood no chance. Especially in that lab coat I constantly saw you in,"

He smiled at her words, slowly coming to life when he realised that she was returning his affectionate gazes, touches and words. His heart felt lighter than it had in years.

"What about Volkner?" he asked numbly. She rolled her eyes before tsking.

"Trust you, Mr. Oblivious to not notice that Volkner is in fact a homosexual,"

Wait.

"What? He is?" Hop furrowed his brow, surprise emanating in his tone. She giggled and nodded.

"Yeah, we grew close because we had something in common,"

Hop groaned and jokingly teased,

"Both of you have an insane ability to drive me crazy?"

She feigned consideration, but shook her head.

"Mutual pinning over our childhood friends,"

When he looked at her confused, she mouthed the name 'Flint'. His eyes widened in understanding, and stared dumbly at her, unsure of what to say next.

Gloria, as usual, took the reins and pushed his knees down so she could crawl to straddle his waist and look him in his eyes. Deep blue met ember, warmth reflected in them both. Before he could say anything, she leaned forward and rested her forehead against his, eyes fluttering closed and breathing in. His own eyes half closed as her hands smoothed over his chest, relishing in her touch. His patience growing thin, he closed the distance between them to lightly kiss her lips. Pulling back slightly, giving her an opportunity to pull away. She did not take it - in fact, her fingers danced along his collarbone and made their way up into his hair, grasping gently and coaxing a heavy exhale from Hop's lips. They sat there for a moment, revelling in this new closeness. Hop, regaining some composure, made to move his hands along her thighs slowly, rubbing them tenderly, and gazing into her eyes. He smiled crookedly when he recognised a wondrous haze in them, noting them in his memory as he leaned in to kiss her again, this time longer and languidly. She met him with similar intent, every now and then breaking to breathe out sighs before diving back into his passionate embrace. 

Gloria moved to deepen the kiss, which Hop met with similar enthusiasm, gripping her hips tightly in response. She gasped slightly at this, as it pushed her against him deliciously and made her head spin slightly. They pulled away for a moment, eyes heavy-lidded, and registered the effect they were having on each other. Years of pent up passion and need was being released and further built up the more they touched each other, Hop relishing in the soft feel of her body against him and her tingling with anticipation under his gaze. His hands grazed up, along her arms, along her neck and chin, where he moved to follow with his lips, much to her pleasure. As soon as his lips found her pulse point, he sucked lightly, his hands moving into her hair to grip gently.

It was at this moment, when she sighed a little too loudly at their coupling in the living room of his house, that Leon walked into the room and stopped dead when he saw his little brother and Gloria heavily making out. Part of him was super proud of his brother for finally landing the girl of his dreams, while a major part was telling him to leave quietly so as not to embarrass them. On his way out, his mother stepped out from the kitchen and said,

"Oh Leon, Gloria's mum asked me to tell her that she went home, is she still in there with Hop?"

Leon, sensing disaster when his mother began to step past him, flailed in front of her and loudly proclaimed,

"YES MUM THEY ARE SUPER AWARE THAT HER MUM HAS GONE HOME AND THAT YOU WERE GOING TO TELL HER PERSONALLY, IN PERSON, FACE TO FACE,"

Lottie, eying her eldest's strange behaviour with a confused look, before shrugging and turning to go back to the kitchen. Leon whistled at the close call, hoping that they had gotten the clue to take it somewhere more private. He smiled with pride and left to join his mum in the kitchen to help clean up. 

Another successful mission for Lee, he thought to himself brimming with self-confidence at his matchmaking skills.

Meanwhile, Gloria and Hop had broken apart abruptly, shocked at his brother's outburst, but also forever grateful. They looked at each other's disheveled states and laughing quietly. Joy and love reflected in their eyes as they looked at each other. Hop stood up first, reaching out to help Gloria up. She took his hand and was drawn up into his arms, his warmth encompassing her as he held her reverently. He was so caught up in the feel of everything, the heat in his chest, the lightness of his spirit and headiness of the passion, that he almost missed her whisper,

"Let's go camping tonight,"

He smirked as the heat moved from his chest to pool in his abdomen. Leaning down to whisper hotly in her ear,

"Slumbering Weald? In 20 minutes?"

Hop relished in her shudder as she pulled away and nodded, a twinkle in her eye.

"Don't be late," she whispered seductively pulling away and moving to the Kitchen to say goodbye to Leon and Lottie. As she leaned against the archway, Hop snuck behind her dragging his finger down her spine before darting up the stairs. Throwing a wink as she looked back from downstairs, he could tell she was obviously flustered and blushing, but still smugly smiling at him. He rushed around his room, packing his overnight camping gear and revelling in what just happened. In his haste, he paused in front of a framed picture of him and Gloria, picking it up fondly and smiling broadly.

He confessed, and she reciprocated.

He kissed her, and she kissed back.

He loved her, and she loved him.

Whoa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is technically the end of the fic but I have a sort of funny chapter 4 epilogue for this... epilogue haha. I hope you enjoyed it! If you want more stories with these two characters, let me know and I'll see what I can do about making it into a series to explore their relationship more now that they've gotten together :)


	4. End of the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Your comments have been so lovely to read - I'm so glad that some of you want to read more of our two cuties, so consider your wishes granted! I will continue this series as a splice of life insight into their relationship. Stay tuned for future fics! The next one will be *saucy* and will explore the Slumbering Weald sleepover ;P I'm excited to write that one.
> 
> But for now enjoy the finale! I hope you like it!

Fifteen minutes after arguably the best moment of his life, Hop bound down the stairs, camping pack and bright smile in tow. He peeked around the corner to spy his mother in the kitchen, putting away the remainder of the dishes, the local news on the radio broadcasting in the background.

Ok, thought Hop determinedly, I just have to creep out of here and there will be no questions asked.

"Hey there bro, whatcha got there?"

Hop jumped about five feet in the air in shock at his brother's voice. He turned around to see Leon looking at him with a pompous grin. Since Hop had become an adult, he had grown exponentially and was now able to look at his brother directly in the eye. And in his eyes, he could detect understanding, amusement and mischief.

It was a very dangerous combination and could very well put the biggest spanner in the works that was Hop's plans tonight. 

"Oh, well I just thought that it was such a beautiful night and I might spend the night outside," Hop said, as passively as he could muster. Judging by the glimmer in Leon's eyes, it wasn't enough.

"Is that right?" Leon said, crossing his arms, waiting for Hop to continue. Hop glanced sideways to make sure his mum was still occupied before looking back at his brother, chuckling guiltily. 

"It's funny, I could've sworn you were going to meet up with Gloria,"

"Gloria," Hop said blankly, realising the jig was up.

"In the Slumbering Weald,"

Like, it was super up with no returns.

"In 20 minutes,"

Oh boy.

"And as far as I could tell,"

Leon paused, leaning slightly forward with a dangerously smug face that made Hop uneasy.

"You reeeeaaally shouldn't be late,"

Hop flushed bright red, furrowing his brow and crossing his arms in frustration. So Leon was just gonna do him like that, huh?

"Ok, you know what? Yes, yes I really shouldn't be late," Hop hissed in a whisper. "Because Gloria, you know - THE Gloria that I have been low key.... like, super low key it's hard to believe... madly in love with for the better part of, you know, my entire life, is waiting for me!"

Leon chuckled, reminiscing briefly on all the times he would wind up Hop growing up. It felt good, to revisit that feeling after... well a day. However, maybe just this once he'll let his brother off the hook. He reached into his pocket and handed his brother what he considered his blessing.

A condom.

Leon decided, for old times sake, to torment him for the last time... today.

"Wow you really just did that, huh," Hop said, staring at the small packet in blank disbelief, slight embarrassment rushing through his body.

"You know, I do believe that we haven't had - the talk,"

"Ok.... you know that it was a couple of years ago when I lost my - " Hop interjected hastily, really hoping to quell his brother's monologue.

"When a man and a woman love each other very much - " Leon proceeded dramatically, ignoring his brother's protests and shushes.

"Lee, our mum gave me this talk years ago and I really don't think that I -"

"- they decide to physically form a bond. It is vital out of respect for your partner that you take the proper precautions of consent AND protection,"

"This is the LAST thing I want to hear from you, like, ever..."

At Hop's last mumble, Leon stopped before smiling warmly. He placed his hand on his brother's back in comfort and said quietly,

"Just know, that no matter what - I'm your big brother, our relatively equal heights irrelevant, and I'll always be here if you need me,"

Hop smiled gratefully at his brother, chuckling slightly before punching his brother lightly on the arm with affection. He was well aware of the effort that Leon had put into his newfound relationship with Gloria, as frustrating as it was at the time. Only Leon knew how Hop could second guess himself, and sometimes the only sure-fire way to get him to expose any kind of hidden truth is riling it up out of him. If it wasn't for Leon, it might have taken many years of fruitless relationships to finally come to terms with his love for Gloria. 

"I appreciate everything you've done for me, Lee. Even before Gloria, you've been the best brother,"

Leon smiled, moved by his words. Clearing his throat to move on from the moment, he clapped Hop on the back before turning and smugly calling back.

"Have fun, tonight bro - do try not to be too loud, the Slumbering Weald does tend to echo,"

Hop cringed and loudly protested while his brother cackled heartily. Shaking his head good-naturedly, Hop waved dismissively at his brother and snuck outside. 

It was a warm night, with a light breeze caressing his face and stars twinkling in the night's sky. The streetlamps stood tall and glowing, guiding Hop on his way to Gloria's house. As he approached, there wasn't a Budew in sight, no sign of life, except for one window on the second floor. As he looked up, he smiled in warm recognition at Gloria's Scottish beret pacing near the window. Hop, desperately wanting to keep their plans between them, looked for a way to get her attention. When flailing his arms and whispered yells didn't work, he sought a pebble or two, attempting to aim for her window. After a couple of tries, he landed one, and lo and behold, Gloria went to the window, eyes sparkling with glee at seeing Hop waving at her from outside. Hop saw her smile once before dashing away from the window and the light turn off. It was but a few moments before the front door was opening and Gloria sneaking out.

"Got everything?" Hop whispered, his hand outstretched to take in hers. Gloria nodded silently, a blush dusting her cheeks as she placed her hand in Hop's and leaned in to kiss him lightly on the cheek. He closed his eyes at the soft feeling, his stomach doing flips. 

"I don't think I'm going to get over being able to do that anytime soon," Gloria sighed, shouldering her pack and lightly pulling Hop down the stairs of her property and out towards the Slumbering Weald. Hop hummed in agreement, pulling her into his side and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I don't think I'll ever get over you being able to do that... in fact, I'm afraid I'm going to have to request another one this instant," He smirked, leaning down to re-capture her lips in his, a giggle erupting from her chest. The two lovers continued their displays of affection under the soft glow of the moonlight as they disappeared into the forest, the Slumbering Weald welcoming them into its misty embrace as they searched for a place to set up their tent for the night.


End file.
